Health officials on Thursday confirmed the country's first measles death since 2003, and they believe the victim was most likely exposed to the virus in a health facility in Washington state during an outbreak there. The woman died in the spring; a later autopsy confirmed that she had an undetected measles infection, the Washington State Department of Health said in a statement. The official cause of death was announced as "pneumonia due to measles."
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 178 people from 24 states and the District were reported to have measles from Jan. 1 through June 26 of this year. Two-thirds of the cases, the CDC noted, were "part of a large multi-state outbreak linked to an amusement park in California."
Measles were effectively eliminated in the United States in 2000, according to the CDC. Health officials have said that the disease made a comeback recently, in part because of a growing number of adults deciding to delay or abstain from vaccinating their children. Last year brought the highest number of recorded measles cases since 2000, according to the CDC. Earlier this year, President Obama acknowledged the concerns some have about effects of vaccines but said: "The science is pretty indisputable." "You should get your kids vaccinated — it's good for them," Obama said. "We should be able to get back to the point where measles effectively is not existing in this country."
takyon: Celebrity critics recently denounced California's new mandatory vaccine law.
(Score: 3, Informative) by hemocyanin on Sunday July 05 2015, @09:32AM
I see why you were modded troll.
Immigration reform is about a lot of things, but high on that list are depressing wages so wall street can make more money (same as with H1Bs and free trade agreements making offshoring attractive), and secondly, creating demand for the massive amount of surplus housing that came out of the last bubble. Below that are the feel-good things that get publicized. As for who supports these types of jobs crushing policies, that would democrats AND republicans, the lot of which suck beyond the ability of science to measure. You're a troll for picking on only half the problem, implying that the other half of the problem isn't jointly responsible.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday July 05 2015, @09:42AM
You get points. I thought it would be funny to provoke our more liberal members - but BOTH parties have ruled Washington within the past thirty years. BOTH parties have failed to get the invasion under control while they held the reigns of power. BOTH parties collude to put the screws to us, natural born United States citizens and voters.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 05 2015, @09:49AM
Derepublicrats
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 05 2015, @11:50AM
Having moved to the EU several years ago I would say the two Party system that the US clings to needs to change.
Having no labor party is a big problem.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 05 2015, @11:05PM
Are you a commie?
No, I'm not actually trolling. I live in a country with a Labour party, and our particular one is more about right wing policies than it should be, and what seems to me is that Americans appear to be convinced (going for the euphemism here) that the only people who deserve to be paid well, have protection or political influence, are those who already have significant wealth, protection, and influence.
The usual thought-stopping cliche that's used to prevent further debate is an accusation of being a socialist or a communist, who's stealing from the hard-working millionaire earner for those who were just too lazy to work.
While this attitude exists, there is no way that the US will ever have any real support for such a party.